Bryn Mawr College and Rutgers University May 2009 Native Bee Benefits How to increase native bee pollination on your farm in several simple steps For Pennsylvania and New Jersey Farmers Why are native bees important? In this pamphlet, you can find out… 1 Why is insect pollination so important? Bees can efficiently transfer pollen between different plant individuals of the same species. This cross pollination makes for healthier and more genetically diverse plant populations. It also helps crops such as watermelon, which have separate pollen providing (male) and fruit producing (female) flowers, or apples, for which many varieties require cross-pollination from a different variety (called “self-incompatibility”). The most effective native bees in PA and NJ and how to identify them Their habitat and foraging needs Strategies for encouraging their presence on your farm Sources of funding Insect pollination services are a highly important agricultural input. Two-thirds of crop varieties require animal pollination for production and many crops have higher quality after insect pollination. 1,2,3 Bees are the most important pollinators in most ecosystems. They facilitate reproduction and improve seed set for half of Pennsylvania’s and New Jersey’s top fruit and vegetable commodities. 4,5,6 Estimated value of their pollination services range from $6 - 263 million each year. 7 Honeybee numbers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have been declining over the past several years. Beekeepers recorded overwinter losses of 26- 48% and 17-40% respectively in PA and NJ between 2006 and 2009. 8,9,10 These losses are much higher than the typical 15% losses seen in previous years. 10 Although many farmers rent managed honeybees to increase crop yield and quality, surveys of small to medium size PA and NJ farms have shown that native bees provide a substantial portion of pollination services. 11,12 By increasing the number and diversity of native bees, PA and NJ farmers may be able to counter rising costs of rented bee colonies while supporting sustainable native plant and pollinator communities.
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Bryn Mawr College and Rutgers University May 2009
Native Bee Benefits
How to increase native bee
pollination on your farm in several simple steps
For Pennsylvania and New Jersey Farmers
Why are native bees important?
In this pamphlet, you can find out…
1
Why is insect pollination so important? Bees can efficiently transfer pollen between different plant individuals of the
same species. This cross pollination makes for healthier and more genetically
diverse plant populations. It also helps crops such as watermelon, which have
separate pollen providing (male) and fruit producing (female) flowers, or
apples, for which many varieties require cross-pollination from a different
variety (called “self-incompatibility”).
The most effective native bees
in PA and NJ and how to
identify them
Their habitat and foraging
needs
Strategies for encouraging
their presence on your farm
Sources of funding
Insect pollination services are a highly important
agricultural input. Two-thirds of crop varieties require animal
pollination for production and many crops have higher quality after
insect pollination.1,2,3
Bees are the most important pollinators in
most ecosystems. They facilitate reproduction and improve seed
set for half of Pennsylvania’s and New Jersey’s top fruit and
vegetable commodities.4,5,6
Estimated value of their pollination
services range from $6 - 263 million each year.7
Honeybee numbers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have
been declining over the past several years. Beekeepers recorded
overwinter losses of 26- 48% and 17-40% respectively in PA and
NJ between 2006 and 2009.8,9,10
These losses are much higher than
the typical 15% losses seen in previous years.10
Although many
farmers rent managed honeybees to increase crop yield and quality,
surveys of small to medium size PA and NJ farms have shown that
native bees provide a substantial portion of pollination services.11,12
By increasing the number and diversity of native bees, PA and NJ
farmers may be able to counter rising costs of rented bee colonies
while supporting sustainable native plant and pollinator
communities.
What to look for: Hairy, yellow
most of body, 0.4 in. (1 cm) (John
Ascher/www.discoverlife.org)
Bombus fervidus Golden Northern Bumble Bee Abundance: Not common
Range: Broadly throughout Eastern US
Season: April-October
Sociality: Eusocial
Typical Flight Distance: 0.9-1.8 mi. (1.4-3 km)
Nesting: Above or below ground in sunny, dry locations, tend to prefer fields. Their nests may be
in old rodent nests or may simply resemble field mouse nests.
Xylocopa virginica Eastern Carpenter Bee Abundance: Very common
Range: Throughout eastern US
Season: March-October
Sociality: Solitary
Typical Flight Distance: 5.5-13 mi. (8.8-21 km)
Nesting: Look for 0.5 in. circular holes in any wood (seem to prefer soft wood such as pine). Found in a wide variety of habitats, thrives even in cities and suburbs.
There are two key things that would likely increase support
for native bees on PA and NJ farmland:
Grow recommended native plants that studies have
shown are preferred by bees in order to attract more
pollinators to your property (see page 6).
Establish areas of suitable pollinator habitat around
the farm. This will allow more bees to nest on your
property and encourage their return year after year
(see page 7).
The rest of this pamphlet provides guidelines for what
you can do to make your farm a bee haven.
How do I attract these bees to my farm?
The most efficient native bees for top regional fruits and vegetables.12,13
All these bees are good pollinators, but three stars (***) indicates a key pollinator for that crop.
Supporting a variety of bee species will help maintain reliable pollination of crops season after season. A good goal would be to attract as diverse a collection of bees as possible.
5
Plant Scientific
Name
Plant Common
Name (Perennial, Annual)
Visiting Bees Bee
Preference
Flowering Season
April May June July Aug Sept
1. Cirsium discolor t Field thistle
(P) Ap, B, X **
2. Erigeron strigosus Daisy fleabane
(A) Ap, Au, C, H, L *
3. Scutellaria
integrifolia Helmet flower
(P) B ***
4. Apocynum
cannabinum Indianhemp
(P) An, Ap, Au, B, L **
5. Prunella vulgaris Common selfheal
(P) Ap, Au, B, L **
6. Verbena hastata Swamp verbena
(P) C ***
7. Asclepias syriaca Common milkweed
(P) Ap, B, X ***
8. Euthamia
graminifolia Flat-top goldentop
(P) Ap, Au, C, H, L, X **
9. Lobelia spicata Palespike lobelia
(P) B, C ***
10. Agalinis purpurea False foxglove
(A) Au ***
11. Pycnanthemum
tenuifolium Narrowleaf mountainmint
(P) Ap, Au, B, C, H, L **
12. Solidago odora Anisescented goldenrod
(P) Ap, Au, C, H, L, X **
13. Potentilla
norvegica Norwegian cinquefoil
(A/P) Au, H, L ***
14. Eupatorium
maculatum Spotted joe pye weed
(P) B, C, H ***
15. Vernonia
noveboracensis Broadleaf ironweed
(P) Au, C, H, L ***
4 2 3 6
Foraging Needs Bees feed on nectar and pollen, which come exclusively from flowers. Plant a variety of flowers that will provide bee foraging
resources throughout the growing season. This will ensure that at any given time at least some flowers are in bloom and that you
will attract a diversity of pollinators. These plants must be close to bee nesting sites (within a bee‟s flight range, shown on pages
2-4) and sufficiently abundant to support both large and small bees. Larger bees have longer flight distances and so can fly farther
to reach food. They also require greater amounts of food (more flowers). Cultivating large clumps of recommended native flowers
(shown below) in various areas around your farm will be more effective for attracting bees than growing them all in one spot.
Plants with more stars (***) are more preferred by the indicated visiting bees.14
t The USDA-NRCS PLANTS database lists Cirsium discolor, a native field thistle, as potentially weedy or invasive. Though you should not encourage large
populations, it is a valuable pollinator foraging resource and can be managed as such. Its seeds are not commercially available.
Leave sunny, well-drained, south-facing sloped ground undisturbed. Tilling the soil will
destroy any ground nests.
Clear most vegetation in these areas (leave some grasses to prevent erosion).
Wo
od
nest
ing
Twigs and vines with pithy
centers
Existing holes in wood from other insects
Rotting logs and stumps
Tree snags
Leave dead wood in appropriate areas near recommended flowering plants.
Increase plants with pithy stems (elderberry, boxelder, raspberry, dogwood, etc.) in
areas near crops and native foraging resources. Cut back annually to allow bee access to
pithy centers.
Build a nest: Tie 10-20 hollow stems or paper straws with one end closed (6-8” long)
together into a bundle and place in a protected area about 4’ off the ground. Bamboo
and reeds are good materials (see image 2 above). Put them out in early spring. Make
sure foraging resources are nearby.
Build a nest: Drill small holes of diameters ranging from 3/32” to 5/16” and 3” to 6”
deep into natural or man-made wood structures (logs, boards, dead wood, stumps, etc.).
Drill sloping very slightly upward to reduce water entry into holes.
Bu
mb
le b
ees Small preexisting cavities in
wood or other material
Rodent burrows
Fallen leaves or other plant
matter
Grassy areas, meadows
Minimize mowing in grassy meadows or thickets (see image 1). If mowing is necessary,
reduce to once every 3-5 years and only in late fall.
Avoid removing excessive amounts of weeds in these areas.
Do not exterminate rodents or destroy their nests.
Leave potential nesting sites protected (unmowed, untilled) during winter for dormant
queens.
In order to fund habitat preservation efforts, farmers can tap into
resources that have recently been made available by the Food,
Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (otherwise known as the Farm Bill).
Over the next five years $100 million will be devoted to pollinator
habitat research and conservation through such state-level initiatives as the
Conservation Stewardship Program, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives
Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.15
Through these programs farmers could receive annual
compensation for investment in pollinator habitat ranging from 75-100% of
total costs and foregone income.16
For more information, see page 8 which
details the availability of funds in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and whom
to contact.
What funding sources are available for a bee habitat restoration project on my property?
There are three common bee nesting strategies, those of
ground nesting bees, wood nesting bees and bumble bees.
Ground nesting bees require direct access to soil in well-
drained, sunny areas (see image 4, right). Look for small,
very circular holes in the ground surrounded by piles of
displaced dirt.
Wood nesting bees are found in pithy twig or vine
centers, rotting wood, and existing cavities in wood. Only
carpenter bees chew their own nest cells into soft wood
substrates; others require existing holes.
Bumble bees are more generalist in their nesting habits
(image 3, right, shows them nesting in a compost pile) and
can be found under leaves, in old rodent dens and other
preexisting cavities, above or below ground.
For more information, see the Xerces Organization‟s
factsheets at www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/
agroforestrynotes34-bee_nests.pdf.
Nesting Needs
2. Wood-nesting bee nest cells 1. Weedy area good for bee nesting
4. Ground-nesting entrance hole 3. Bumble bees nesting in compost
7
For more technical or logistical information on funding, growing recommendations for native plants and pollinator habitat
restoration, visit the Natural Resources Conservation Service website (www.nrcs.usda.gov) and contact your local NRCS office.
Program Mission Agency Funding Priorities Contract
Length
Eligibility and Contact
Info.
Conservation
Reserve
Program
(CRP)
Land retirement program, protects
environmentally sensitive land
PA and NJ
Farm Service
Agency
(FSA)
Cost-sharing
for 50% of eligible
conservation practices,
rental
payments for long-term
conservation
Wildlife habitat benefits
Pollinators are high priority wildlife (under
practice CP38)16
10-15 years
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/ FSA/webapp?area=home&
subject=copr&topic=crp
Contact your local USDA
Farm Service Agency office to apply
Environmental
Quality
Initiatives
Program
(EQIP)
Addresses
resource concerns to improve
environmental quality
PA and NJ Natural
Resources Cons.
Service
(NRCS)
45-75% of
typical costs of implementing
the practice
At-risk species habitat conservation
Preservation and management of
grasslands for
pollinators
1-10 years
(priority given to 1-
3 year projects)
NJ: www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/ programs/eqip
PA: www.pa.nrcs.usda.gov /programs/eqip/
PA Incentives Manager:
Ed Sanders, 717-237-2201
Wildlife
Habitat
Incentives
Program
(WHIP)
Promotes
restoration of important wildlife
habitats
PA and NJ NRCS
60-75% of
typical cost of implementing
the practice
In NJ, pollinator
habitat a top priority
for 2009
Habitat development
and management component encouraged
1-10 years (work
usually
completed 1-3 years)
NJ: www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/ programs/whip/
PA: www.pa.nrcs.usda.gov/
programs/whip Ed Sanders, 717-237-2201
Applications are available at any USDA Service Center, or you can request them to be sent to you by calling your local USDA Service Center.
Note: The NJ Conservation Security Program (not mentioned above) may soon include pollinator conservation language due to the 2008 Farm Bill (www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp).
References 1. Roubik, D. W., editor. 1995. Pollination of cultivated plants in
the tropics. Food and Agricultural Organization service bulletin 118. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome.
2. Delaplane, K.S., Mayer, D.F. 2000. Crop Pollination By Bees. New York: CABI.
3. Sabara, H.A., Gillespie, D.R., Elle, E., Winston, M.L. 2004. Influence of brood, vent screening, and time of year on honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) pollination and fruit quality of greenhouse tomatoes. Journal of Economic Entomology. 97(3):727-734.
4. McGregor, S.E. 1976. Insect pollination of cultivated crop plants. Retrieved from http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/book/.
5. PA „Ag Snapshot‟ 2007.USDA, National Agriculture Statistics Service. Retrieved from http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Pennsylvania/Publications/Annual_Statistical_Bulletin/Snapshot.pdf.
6. USDA-NASS Quick Stats, New Jersey Data, Vegetables. 2008. Retrieved from http://www.nass.usda.gov/QuickStats/Create_Federal_Indv.jsp#top
7. Winfree, R. 2008, “The value of crop pollination by honey bees and native bees in New Jersey and Pennsylvania”, Ann. Meeting of Entomological Society of Am., Reno, NV.
8. Gill, C. (2008, May 21). Research Continues As Honey Bee Losses Rise In U.S., Fall In Pa. PennState College of Ag. Sciences. Retrieved from http://aginfo.psu.edu/news/2008/5/beeresearch.html.
9. vanEngelsdorp D, Hayes J Jr., Underwood RM, Pettis J, 2008 A Survey of Honey Bee Colony Losses in the U.S., Fall 2007 to Spring 2008. PLoS ONE 3(12): e4071. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004071
10. Conversation with Tim Schuler, NJ State Apiarist. 9 April 2009.
11. Winfree, R., Williams, N.M., Dushoff, J., Kremen, C. 2007. Native bees provide insurance against ongoing honeybee losses. Ecology Letters. 10:1105-1113.
12. Winfree, R., Williams, N.M., Gaines, H., Ascher, J., Kremen, C. 2008. Wild bee pollinators provide the majority of crop visitation across land use gradients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Journal of Applied Ecology. 45:793-802.
13. Studies used for table on pg 5: Cane, J.H., Payne, J.A. 1993. Regional, annual, and seasonal-variation in pollinator guilds- Intrinsic traits of bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) underlie their patterns of abundance at Vaccinium ashei (Ericaceae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 86(5):577-588. Chagnon, M., Gingras, J., Deoliveira, D. 1993. Complimentary aspects of strawberry pollination by honey and indigenous bees (Hymenoptera). Journal of Economic Entomology. 86(2): 416-420. Gardner, K.E., Ascher, J.S. 2006. Notes on the native bee pollinators in New York apple orchards. Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 114(1):86-91. Mackenzie, K.E., Averill, A.L. 1995. Bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) diversity and abundance on cranberry in southeastern Massachusetts. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 88(3):334-341. Mackenzie, K.E., Eickwort, G.C. 1996. Diversity and abundance of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) foraging on highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) in central New York. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 69(4):185-194. Rust, R.W., Mason, C.E., Erickson, E.H. 1980. Wild bees on soybeans, Glycine max. Environmental Entomology. 9:230-232. Shuler, R.E., Roulston, T.H., Farris, G.E. 2005. Farming Practices Influence Wild Pollinator Populations on Squash and Pumpkin. Journal of Economic Entomology. 98(3):790-795.
14. Williams, N.M., Madelik, Y., Winfree, R. (in prep.). Metrics assessing the importance of plant species for pollinators and their use in conservation planning.
15. Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, Public Law 110-246, 110
th Cong., 2
nd Sess.
(2008). 16. Xerces Society. 2008. Using Farm Bill Programs
for Pollinator Conservation. Retrieved from http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/using_farm_bill_programs_xerces_society.pdf.
Images Pg 6: Elaine Haug @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database (Lobelia spicata, Asclepias syriaca, Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) Patrick J. Alexander @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database (Apocynum cannabinum) Jeff McMillian @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database (Erigeron strigosus, Prunella vulgaris Jim Stasz @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database (Scutellaria integrifolia, Verbena hastata) Seabrooke Leckie (Solidago odora) Thomas Barnes (University of Kentucky) @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS (Agalinis purpurea, Cirsium discolor) William Justice @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS (Vernonia noveboracensis) Janet Novak @ Connecticut Botanical Society (Eupatorium maculatum) Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database (Euthamia graminifolia) www.botanik.uni-karlsruhe.de/garten/fotos-hassler/ (Potentilla norvegica) Pg 7: (Clockwise from top right), Rufus Isaacs (Michigan State University, Conserving Native Bees) Dennis L. Briggs @ VernalPools.org, Gillian Perry @ flickr.com,